VIVA GLAM RIHANNA II

First off, let me just say I haven't been this excited about a lipgloss.. well, ever! And I am surprised myself, because it hasn't really got a whole lot of colour...

For the second round of being the Viva Glam spokesperson, Rihanna went for a mauve lipstick with silver frost and a matching mauve lipgloss with red frost. I've been seeing a lot of these cool toned grey-brown-mauve-ish kind of lip products lately (and I absolutely love it) so it feels right in time but still unique.

Since it's a lipgloss, you have the freedom to simply put it on top of any lipcolour you might want and that's one of the things I like about this - it slightly changes the colour underneath. A co-worker tried it on top of Illamasqua's Posture lipstick and it looked amazing. I love the cool grey-ish, mauve colour it gives to a beige nude lip pencil or how its red frost particles turned MAC Amorous to a slightly more pink, lovely berry shade.

It's a fun duo (this and the matching Viva Glam Rihanna 2 lipstick) and don't forget that 100% of the cost of the product goes directly to MAC Cosmetics' own AIDS Fund.

MAC x THE SIMPSONS

The Simpsons are taking over! Now, with a little help from MAC, we can even have these yellow little figures on our makeup packagings. In honour of The Simpsons' 25 year anniversary we're treated to a collection featuring two eyeshadow quads, two blushes, four lipglosses and - my favourite part - nail stickers. Check out this bright fuchsia lipgloss named Red Blazer. Lovely on its own or to enhance a lipstick/lip pecil of the same colour.

UPDATE: I just got one of the palettes sent to me and I'm loving these colours! It's called Marge's Extra Ungredients Quad and from left we have Harpooned Heart (light baby pink), Sexy PB & J (midtone bright violet), Beehive Blue (midtone bright blue) and Vivacious Vacuum Cleaner Bag (neep navy). Haha! The palette reminds me of one of my first favourite makeup looks by fafinettex3 where she used purple, pink and blue plus a dark colour (that funnily enough looked exaclty like the one on the far right) to darken the outer edges. Looks like I'll be recreating old favourites tonight!

VIVA GLAM RIHANNA

As I mentioned in my previous post on the collaborations between MAC Cosmetics and Rihanna, they have chosen her as their new VIVA GLAM spokesperson for 2014. As per usual when it comes to the VIVA GLAM line they try to create shades that will suit most people and went for a frosty, blue-red lipstick and Lipglass this time. It's creamy, feels light and comfortable on the lips and indeed a shade that suits a lot of skintones. I somehow get the feeling of an "everyday" kind of red - perhaps because of the formula or perhaps because I am personally more used to darker shades of red. I find it really nice either way and haven't found a dupe in my collection so I believe this is definitely worth checking out - even if you didn't already plan on getting it simply out of the collectors point of view.

And can we please talk about the packaging? Are you seeing the beauty of this thing? No, probably not, because it can not really be captured in a photo - at least I can't. It has kind of a velvet look and has to be the absolute most gorgeous lipstick bullet MAC has ever created. So even if you're not buying this, please just go to your nearest MAC counter/MAC store and just LOOK at it. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. (Yes, I get too damn excited about these things.)

The lipstick will be available from January 21 in the US (maccosmetics.com) and February 8 here in Skandinavia (maccosmetics.se). Go to your local counter/store to find out the exact date for Your country.

SWATCHES | OPI GWEN STEFANI COLLECTION

OPI is rapidly becoming known as the number one brand for introducing us to new formulas, always pushing forward to set a new trend. One of their latest hits were the Liquid Sand nail polish which, naturally, many brands have been copying since the launch, and since then OPI have been releasing a couple of Liquid Sand shades with almost every collection. This collections has none but a good variety of formulas nonetheless - and naturally a brand new one!

During my early teen years Gwen Stefani was always "that cool chick" - always a bit different from the other artists at that time (well, at least to me), always unique and fun. I am therefore quite excited about her teaming up with OPI for a collection of seven limited edition nail lacquers. The signature red and a trace of her pink hair are two of the six shades I have here to show you today.

Despite my imprinted memories of the pink haired Gwen singing about how "I kind of always knew I'd end up your ex-girlfriend", most people probably think of red lips and matching nails when they hear her name. Her signature red OPI polish is called Over & Over A-Gwen and will be available in a special box including black swarowski crystals and different shaped gold, silver and pewter studs along with nail glue to make your own unique nail design. Click here to see a photo of it.

The collection includes another two glossy cremes and one is I Sing In Color - a dark chocolate cherry shade. Yeah, you guessed it.. of course the vampy one is my favourite! It doesn't matter how many dupes there might be or how many I already have in my stash - I'll always love a rich burgundy, dark eggplant, dark wine and the like.

The third creme is called Hey Baby and she's a glossy medium pink. Feel like you've seen it before? Well, if you already own OPI I'm India Mood For Love or Nicole By OPI Spring Break then it seems you already have a dupe.

The collection also features two semi-matte satin finish designed to be worn without topcoat. 4 in the Morning is a charcoal black that doesn't look so harsh because of the finish. I might actually replace this swatch since it seems it had not dried completely when I took the photo and just noticed it is supposed to look more matte than this - a bit like leather actually. Click here to see more photos of the satin finish.

The second satin polish is Love. Angel. Music. Baby - a golden hue that brings my mind to the music video of The Sweet Escape which I currently wish I could live in because of my obsessing with gold for the past couple of months. It's a gold with a silvery shimmer and very, very similar in colour to Honey Ryder from the Bond Girls (Liquid Sand) collection - the finish being the difference.

Lastly we have a sparkly top coat and personally I don't see a whole lot of Gwen in this - or rather my version of Gwen - but a glitter is aaalways fun and a holo glitter even better. Try it top of 4 in the morning if that satin finish is not for you.

Push And Shove is the name of the seventh lacquer in the collection (which I unfortunately don't have to show you) and also the lacquer that has the NEW formula. I don't know if I can say that it is the star of the collection since I haven't tried it yet, but I would guess it's the most discussed.Push and Shove is a chome hue but requires a special base coat - Lay Down That Base - to get into its full glory. Apparently one thin coat of this + two thin coats of Push And Shove will give a mirrored finish similar to what we have so far only been able to get using MINX nail foil. Judging by swatch photos like this one, this one and this one I feel like the limit of what you can achieve with nailpolish alone has been reached. It makes me think of the silvery 90's fashion and the accessories being sold today inspired by it such as backpacks, shoes etc and that makes the nostalgia-loving, materialistic little part of my heart in a shopping mood.

All of the swatches has 2 coats. The collection will be out in stores mid January.

HOLIDAY TREATS

With the hopes of you all having a wonderful Christmas holiday I wanted to share a few of my favourites and treats for the family gatherings, New Years Eve and other upcoming highlights in your schedule during these winter months.

I dont know about you but I for one am not tired of glitter for New Years Eve and very much doubt I will ever join those who year after year tries their best to stear away from the typical things like sparkling dresses, tops or accessories on this night. And growing up with a grandmother who was the absolute queen of glitter and sequins I now love anything that sparkles and therefore very much like adorn myself with something glimmering for NYE. As you know I am also a complete lipstick lover - inherited from the same woman I might add - and to not over-do it a matte lipstick is always my first choice. The Retro Matte lipsticks from MAC have been a personal favourite since the release in October and will suit anyone who's up for celebrating this past year and the beginning of a new with a bright lip. Check them out if you haven't!

Prefer to keep the focus on your eyes? Give them that snow-y sparkle with some glitter, a frosty eyeshadow or perhaps a Pro Longwear Paint Pot. I'm liking the silver-white shade called Chrome Angel.

Having a New Years party? Place the jar of Johan Bülow's golden liquorice balls among your tasty treats [Haha I'm sorry - been trying to make this sentence sound less dirty for 15 minutes now, I give up.] and you'll be sure to have the guests talking. Or perhaps my favourite from the range, jar number 2 with salty pieces made out of pure Iranian liquorice if you prefer. Decorative and delicious. Yum!

Still the mascara I recommend most to my clients. Love it!

No, red lips might not be the most surprising thing this time of year but it sure is beautiful. "Stalker" is the brilliant name of my most used red OCC Lip Tar this December.

Yes, I agree, it does look misplaced among all the goodies but since this is a post on treats I just couldn't skip something that is so important this time of year. A treat for your skin, keeps the winter dryness away. If you tend to get dry knuckles or small wounds on your hands then try this if you have the opportunity. I'm buying it at the pharmacy here in Sweden but I know stores like Boots, Ulta and drugstore.com are selling it as well.

I'm not usually the one to go for a light pink lip but I've fallen in love with a pink gloss from IDUN called Irma. My favourite match is with the Sweet Angel lipliner from Kicks. Such a pretty combo!

This year I noticed a lot of people have been giving away donations to different people- or animal-helping organisations as a Christmas gift in the name of a friend or family member which I think is absolutely brilliant. If you didn't but still want to feel like you've done something - and on top of it is a make-up lover who wouldn't mind actually having more of a reason to spend your money on lip products - then one way to help is to purchase any lipstick or gloss from MAC's VIVA GLAM range. For those of you who don't know, MAC Cosmetics has got their very own AIDS fund which gets 100% of the proceeds from their VIVA GLAM products in order to help women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and the initiative has already raised over $250 million. 1 HIV test, 23 female condoms or 233 male condoms and 37 delivered meals are a few of the things the cost of only 1 lipstick will cover so trust that your beauty buys will make a difference. In the photo above you can see my favourite nude - VIVA GLAM II. Guilt-free lipstick shopping? Every time!

MAKE UP FOR EVER AQUA ROUGE

Need a lip colour that will stay on through meals, drinks and kisses this Christmas? Aqua Rouge Waterproof Lip Colour from Make Up Forever does the job. I used one of the gorgeous red shades on my most recent bride and she loved it. It has colour that dries matte on the lips on one end and a clear gloss on the other in case you'd prefer a glossy pout. You choose!

HOW-TO | HALLOWEEN '13 | SHHH...

After posting this photo slash video on my Instagram I recieved questions about how I did it so I thought I'd take you through the steps even though Halloween has passed for most people now. What you'll need is sewing thread, fake blood, skin glue and cream makeup for bruising.

Before starting working on the threads I used cream makeup to make a slightly bruised look around the mouth. As you can tell I went for the look of a very mild and fresh (-as in recent) kind of bruising instead of the blue-ish, purple, red colours you would have if the bruise would be a couple of hours or a day older. Choose the look you prefer.

Cut some sewing thread into small pieces - approx. 8 cm. Apply small dots of glue along your upper lip where you want your thread to go in and out and attach the ends of the thread to the glue. Let it dry for a while, then measure how long you'll need your pieces of thread to be (depending on the size of your lips), cut them off at the lenght you need and repeat the glue step along your lower lip. Make sure you think about the direction of the thread and the natural round movements when sewing; where the thread would go in and out so that you'll know if to put the end on the upper or lower side of your mouth.

Now it's time for blood and that natural round movement of the thread that I mentioned is something you can work with here as well. Just think about where the thread is coming out and where it's going in - personally I put a bit more blood where it was going OUT so that it looks like the thread was dragging some of the blood out, which may not be needed for the spots where the needle would be going IN, in case you don't prefer to do the other way around or to add blood all over the thread which is also an alternative - it all depends on what you like and how bloody you want it. I added a small amount of a thicker kind of blood - a blood paste - to the spots where the thread was going out and a thinner, "regular", fluid blood to the other areas. And that's it, really!

KIT ESSENTIALS | REAL TECHNIQUES

You know how sometimes when you buy new procuts/brushes you afterwards ask yourself "How the hell did I manage without this?"... Well, that's the kind of feeling I got with some of the Real Techniques brushes I purchased in London a while back. And for those of you who never heard of the brand, it's by makeup artist Samantha Chapman, also known as one of the Pixiwoo sisters who shares makeup tips, tutorials and more on their widely popular YouTube channel.

I am loving the multi-tasking qualities of the eye brushes as well as most of the face brushes and my favourites of the later are the Powder Brush and the Expert Face Brush. The Powder Brush really is one of the softest face brushes I've ever used and effortlessly blends your powder, bronzer and blush. The Expert Face Brush has become my favourite multi-tasking brush of all time and is absolutely essential to my makeup kit. Foundation (whether liquid, creamy or compact), cream- or powder contouring, cream- or liquid blush, powder- or liquid highlighting - it works for all of it!

The only disadvantage or inconvenience - and this is from a makeup artist's point of view - is how they sell these. Some of the brushes are sold in sets and some are sold individually; the ones that come in sets are not sold individually and the ones sold individually can not be found in the sets. Now that might not be a problem for most people but as a makeup artist I would love to buy a couple more of, for example, the Base Shadow Brush to use when working since you rarely have the time to clean the brushes while working on the same face/model. It's just always a good thing to have many copies of your favourite multi-tasking brushes. Not being able to without buying the whole set of 5 (when 3 of them is brushes that I don't feel like I need to have copies of) is kind of a downside since they're really great brushes so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that in the future they will start selling all of the brushes individually as well as in the sets.

IDA & LINA'S NOVEMBER LIP TIP

My sister Lina and I have been loving Burt's Bees lip balm during this fall. The brand range includes - among lotions, scrubs, schampoo, different lip products etc - 7 different 100% natural lip balms. We haven't tried all of them, just simply thought we'd share why we love two of them and how they fit our needs.

Lina is all about taking care of her lips and doesn't really have that chapped-lips problem that I tend to have if I'm not careful. If anyone is taking care of ones lips it's her, and her favourite balm is the Rejuvenating lip balm with Acaí Berry."I love how it's so soft and creamy", she says - and it really is! In about 15 minutes after applying it I find my lips already softer which is great when you need a quick boost and as it wears off it gives a smooth feeling to your lips.

As for me, nothing makes my winter lips heal like Locobase Repair but since I really only use that during the night or when I'm just at home with no need to explain what the heck is going on on my lips [it's a WHITE paste/cream], naturally I also need something that I can carry with me and apply during the day.Since I wear lipstick basically everyday and prefer satin and matte formulas, it's important to me that it's a balm that will work as kind of a base to wear underneath my lipstick to at least try to prevent them from drying out. For that purpose my favourite this fall has been the Beeswax lip balm with Vitamin E and Peppermint. Contrary to Lina's favourite, this one gives a much more matte feeling to the lips - a lot like the feeling of the lip primer from MAC when it has settled.

On a side note I want to add that if the state of your lips is really bad - I'm talking cracked winter lips - then I would recommend going for something more healing and thicker to use during the night or - as I mentioned earlier - when you're comfortable looking a bit funny and use a thick cream on your lips for as long as you can as kind of an intense healing mask. Perfect if you're having 2 days off work or over the weekend. If you're able to get it where you live then do try the Locobase Repair, put on a thick layer and reapply as soon as it's worn off for about 1½-2 days depending on how bad it is.

MAC RETRO MATTE LIPSTICK - ALL FIRED UP

As you might know, MAC Ruby Woo is one of the most popular red lipsticks both on and off the runway and inspired by this MAC released a collection of eye-catching shades to create that feminine yet fierce look this fall. Eight shades in total along with eight matching Pro Longwear lip pencils makes it a collection worth checking out if you haven't already - especially for those who really need their lipstick to stay put.

This is All Fired Up - a warm, reddish fuchsia. This one surprised me a lot since it was described as a "bright fuchsia matte" to which my reaction when first reading about it was more of a shrugging "meh" than something I'd put on my have-to-have list for private use. That quickly changed when I tried it on! It is a lot more red than I initally thought it would be and gives a stunning matte look to your lips. It is by far one of my favourite lipsticks this year and the best of all; it stays in their permament line!

IN MY KIT | MAC CREAM COLOUR BASE

New favourite product alert!

After searching for years I've finally found a highlighter that actually looks like real shiny, dewy skin and not just shimmer - wearable for both night and (most importantly) daytime. My clients love it, I love it - it's just glorious.I've tried the product before in a different shade and while I did like that one as well, this one is just on a whole other level. The product I'm talking about is "Hush" Cream Colour Base from MAC and I am utterly and completely in love.

The best way to apply this is with your fingers, simply starting off by picking up some product with a spatula and warming it up on your hand or as I prefer; the inside of my hand, since I feel like it gets warm and creamy a lot faster. (Just remember to clean your hands before!) When it's nice and creamy, just "tap and roll" your finger onto your cheekbones. And the result? A fresh, dewy highlight that will keep looking better through the hours of the day. Absolutely stunning!

RIHANNA HEARTS MAC

After releasing the classic red Riri Woo lipstick in the beginning of 2013 and following up with a three-piece lipstick collection for the summer, it's now time for Rihanna to drop her highly anticipated fall collection including 4 lipsticks (- 2 of which we've seen before), 2 eyeshadow quads, a Lipglass, two lip pencils, a new Cream Colour Base, a powder blush as well as a powder blush duo, 2 makeup brushes, 2 pair of lashes, some liners, pencils and my favourite mascara in a limited edition packaging - the Extended Play Lash.

In the photos above I am showing you two of these items; Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush Duo and Talk That Talk lipstick. For those of you lipstick lovers who are curious about dupes, I wanted to share a photo I took of some MAC lipsticks - 5th picture. In the top row (from the left) you have Rebel, Media and Talk That Talk. Bottom row is Cyber and Smoked Purple. What I noticed is that just like Smoked Purple is a more matte version of Cyber, Talk That Talk is a more matte version of Media. The colour looks the same, to me it's just the formula that's different. Now I know it will slightly differ depending on your skintone but that's what it looks like on my NC15 skin. MAC Currant lip pencil is also close in shade!

The duo blush is a lovely peachy-pink-coral colour plus a beautiful, medium tan shade - and I am already thinking about getting my hands on a backup! I absolutely love this!

The collection is set to be released on October 3rd in the US and around the same time internationally - in Sweden we'll get it on Oct 1st (maccosmetics.se) and on Oct 8 (Kicks.se).

SWATCHES | MAC SO SUPREME - PLAYTIME

To those of you who loves a glossy, lightweight lipstick, check out the new Sheen Supreme lipsticks from MAC and their So Supreme collection. This is Playtime - a bright medium pink with blue undertones. It's got a fine, fine shimmer and is my latest addition to the lipstick family.

MAC LAUNCHING MACCOSMETICS.SE

This week's most exciting news has got to be MAC Cosmetics finally launching their swedish webshop! Yes, sure, we've already had access to a range of their products through Kicks.se (and of course via our MAC counters) but the launch of maccosmetics.se is a great step and benefiting to us in several ways.

This friday, August 2nd, "around noon" the long anticipated website will be up. To celebrate the launch they will be selling limited edition "MAC Illustrated" cosmetic bags designed by Anja Kroencke and Indie 184 exclusively on maccosmetics.se from the launch date and 8 weeks ahead. The release date for their collections is expected to be on the 1st day of each launch month [unlike Kicks.se releasing the collections on the 8th] with the only exeption the 1st is on a Sunday, then the release will be on the 2nd. [EDIT 26/8: The launch was delayed but the website is now up and running!]

So how will this work for us having a MAC PRO card? Naturally I was wondering (since the MAC counter at NK, Stockholm so far is the only place in Sweden where your card is any good) but No - since there is no security system to ID/match a buyer (to prove you are indeed the real card holder who has been granted their high percentage discount) they can't offer the PRO discount on the web sales.

HOWEVER... As you may know, MAC occasionally put out collections that are not released in Skandinavia - the online exclusives. I was curious to find out if these will now become available to us up in the north as well - and the answer is YES! All the makeup lovers, fanatics and artists say YAAAY!

ILLAMASQUA HYDRA VEIL

Well, at least that's what one of the make-up artists from the Selfridge Illamasqua counter told me when visiting a couple of weeks back but I would most definitely see why if it turned out to be true.

I had been really curious about Hydra Veil since the release (and honestly a lot because of just the name itself.. haha) and I'm so happy I decided to buy it. It's an instantly rehydrating gel which is also said to provide the optimal base for your make-up. If you have very dry skin and you feel like you're missing that moist, dewy look then I really would recommend trying this. My experience is that it really does add moist to your skin and it does work very well as a makeup base due to the kind of sticky texture it leaves on your skin - and you don't need a lot of product. Happy to say it's one of the products that works just as well as I had imagined! And for the make-up artists reading this; it's a dream using as a base on a dry-skin bride!

P.S. Keeping it in your refrigerator is a little bit of heaven on hungover days. Wonderfully cooling and an insant refresher!

If you're keen on taking a look at the ingredients list, I've written it down for you to inspect HERE.

SAVE YOUR POLISH!

You know that irritating moment when you realize your favourite nailpolish have turned too thick? Well, a while back when I went to buy a new bottle of Seche Vite I spotted the Seche Restore from the same brand which simply is a thinner made to restore the polish to its original state. Personally I had been doing the old acetone trick for a long time [putting a few drops into the bottle and letting it sit for a while] but as it turns out, that actually does more damage than it does good.

I collected my old, dried-up favourites, poured some of the Restore Thinner into the bottle and allowed it to it sit over night. I've heard that the best way to use this product is to do it like a "preparation for the next time" instead of right before you're planning to use the polish. Just shake/roll the bottle before use.. And the result? They're saved! The consistency is back to normal and no more throwing away half-full bottles of gorgeous nails colours. And it works just as well for when your Top Coat is starting to get a little too thick. I love this!

ILLAMASQUA HOLLOW CREAM PIGMENT

One of the products I've fallen completely in love with since my London visit three weeks ago (and have wanted to try since the product released 2 years ago) is the Illamasqua "HOLLOW" Cream Pigment. As it has that grey-ish, taupe-y colour, it is absolutely gorgeous as a contour on really fair skin and I'm very excited to get my hands on some of the other colours like Emerge (peach) and Delirium (medium rose taupe) that works as cream blushers. The product is said to be designed to work on the eyes, lips, face and body but unless it was for the runway I personally would prefer to use these on the face or body since I feel they sit a lot better without the chance to crease. However, I find Hollow to work beautifully on the eyes with a primer underneath and an eyeshadow or loose powder on top.

I do feel a little worried that they can dry out fast since the packaging is not as "tightly" sealed as you would expect with a cream product but only time can tell if this matters or not in this case. I'll be back with an update!

FAVOURITE LIQUID EYELINER

My favourite black: Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in "Perversion". Love the intensity of the colour, the super skinny brush, the fact that it doesn't smudge and really does stay put until you properly wash it off.

REVIEW | COLOUR XTREME HAIR ART SPRAY

Blonde, red, dark purple, strawberry blonde and brown - those have been the colours of my hair so far - and now I can add BLUE to the list thanks to these coloured hairsprays from Colour Xtreme that I've been looking forward to try out.

I do have quite the fascination with wigs and the possibility to change your hair colour/style after how you're feeling from day to day [yes, yes, even though my hair has now been blonde for the past 12 years] so the Blue, the White and the Silver were my picks when doing some online shopping a while back and the Blue definitely is my favourite so far since you really get the colour you're expecting.. and if you prefer it lighter then just add some of the White spray on top. The White is also great for spraying onto areas which may need some light if your base colour would happen to get a little patchy or if, let's say, you're going for a blue or pink dip-dye and want the colours to be baby blue and baby pink. The Silver one was a joke and I am genuinely chocked that this is even allowed to be on the market. No colour whatsoever and the glitter was microscopic.

So is there a big difference - judging on quality and how it looks when applied to the hair - from those kinds of coloured hairsprays you can get from places like masquerade costumes stores? No.. I wouldn't really say it is. It gives the same kind of texture to your hair - you know that kind of straw-y feel? Yeah, that's it. And these, too, can stain your clothes even if only temporarily so I'd say the best way to wear them is with your hair up. Am I disappointed they were not more improved? Yes.. but not to the point where I wouldn't buy them again; I most definitely will - both for personal use and for my make-up artist kit. Being a 90's kid I'm still a bit weak for some of the 90's trends and to just swirl your hair up in two buns spraying them pink and orange are one of those things that just makes everything a little more fun. I love it.

♦ HOW?You simply spray it onto your hair with a 20-30 cm distance and please use it BEFORE putting on your makeup (that is if you're using it all over as I did). AND yes, the blue one IS apparently showing up on dark hair as well! Wohoo!♦ WHERE?For Swedes, Eleven.se has got the lowest price and is where I bought mine. Abroad you can find them at Boots, Urban Outfitters, ASOS and other websites along with their own colourxtreme.co.uk if you're in the UK.